Pneumatic annunciator



(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. H. HUNT.

PNEUMATIG ANNUNGIATOB..

No. 456,824. Patented July 28, 1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

IVILIJIAM H. HUNT, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

PNEUMATIC ANNUNCIATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,824, dated July 28,1891. Application filed October 30, 1890. Serial No. 369,836. (Nomodel.)

-To all whom, it mar/concern,.-

City, in the county of Hudson and Stato of New Jersey, have invented newand useful Improvements in Pneumatic Aununciators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in pneumatic annuncators,the purpose thereof being to simplify and improve the construction andoperation of the parts, to avoid lost motion, to operate the audiblesignal with the minimum degree of power, to provide simple means forresetting the tablets, and to provide means for throwing the striker inand out of gear with the devices which operate the same.

My invention consists to these ends in the several novel features ofconstruction and new combinations of parts, hereinafter fully set forth,and then definitely pointed out in the claims which follow thisspecification.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my said invention, Iwill proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinalsectional View of an annunciator embodying myin vention. Fig. 2 is avertical transverse sectional View of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a portion of the rock-shaft, showing the rack-bar, the meshingand unmeshing device, and one of the bellows. Fig. 4 is a detailperspective of one of the tablets, with a portion of the restoringslide-bar. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the annunciator inclosed.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken centrally through one of the bellows.

In the said drawings, the reference-numeral 1 denotes abase-plate ofwood, metal, or other material, upon which is mounted a gong 2 of anysuitable kind; also, mounted upon this base-plate is a bracket 3,composed of two parallel plates, upon which is journaled anescapement-wheel 4, with which a pallet 5 engages, upon which is mounteda striker 6, which has contact with the gong 2. Upon the shaft of theescape1nentwheelis mounted a pinion 7, with which engages a rack-bar 8,curved in the arc of a circle struck from au axis concentric with thatof the pivotal point 9, upon which is mounted the end of a lever or bar10, to the end whereof the rack-bar 8 i `lower end connected to a linkbar or bracket 14, pivotally connected to an arm 15 upon a rock-shaft1G, which is journaled in bearings 17 upon the base-plate. Upon therock-shaft 16 are rigidly mounted arms 1S, having plates 19, whichnormally rest upon expansible bellows 20, by the inflation of which therockshaftisrevolved. Bolted orotherwisefastened to the base-plate arebrackets 21, extending over the rock-shaft, and upon the ends ofwhichframes 22 are mounted, carried by V-shapedbrackets,saidframesbeingsupporteduponone arm of said brackets. Upon eachof these fram es is arranged a tablet containing the name ofa room orother locality from which the signal is transmitted. Upon brackets 23are pivoted levers 24,'having forwardly-projecting arms provided withcatches 25, adapted to engage lips or edges 26 upon the frames 22. Theother ends of these levers rest upon the expansible bellows 20. In theends of the brackets 27 is arranged a horizontal slide-bar 27, havingoutwardly-projectng pins 28, which may be caused to engage the edges 29of the bars forming part of the V-shaped frame 22. 'The slide-bar 27 tis retracted by a spring 30 `but as it is pushed against the tensionthereof its pins 28 lift the frames and throw the tablets upward untilthey are locked by the engagement of their lips with the catches 25, bywhich they are sustained.

Vith each of the expansible bellows 2O is connected an air-pipe 31,running from'one of the rooms of the building and having a pneumaticdevice of any suitable kind, whereby a compression. of air is producedin the bellows to which said pipe is connected. This device may be apush-button, and the air forced thereby into the bellows will expand thesame, trip the lever sustaining the tablet,

and vrotate the rock-shaft sufficiently to sound the gong.

By the construction shown in Figs. 1 and, it will be seen that inasmuchas the arm or lever l0 is mounted upon a xed pivot 95while the rack-barS is connected pivotally to its free end, the movement of the arm 15 inan upward direction by the expansion of any one of the bellows will turnthe link 13, and thereby swing the rack-bar toward the pinion 7,throwing itinto mesh with the same. On the other hand, as the bellowscollapse and the arm l5 is dropped the rack-bar 8 is swung slightly awayfrom the pinion and unmeshed therefrom, enabling the arm to rise withoutany impediment and avoiding the necessity of using a pawl-and-ratchetconnection for said pinion.

What I claim isl. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with apallet carrying astriker, of an escapement-wheel vibrating said palletand causing the striker to operate upon a gong, a gear on the shaft ofthe wheel, a rack-bar meshing with said gear, a rock-shaft having an armwhich is connected by a link with the pivotally-mounted rack-bar, abell-crank lever pivoted at its angle, a bellows upon which one arm ofsaid lever rests, and a bracket having` two angular arms, one of whichsupports a tablet giving the location of the room, and aspring-retracted slide-bar having pins adapted to engage the other armof said bracket and lift the same until it is engaged with the outwardlyprojecting arm of the bell-crank lever, substantially as described.

2. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with a series ofexpansible bellows, of a rock-shaft having a corresponding series ofarms provided with plates resting upon said bellows, a rack-bar havingan arm on the rock-shaft, a pinion with which said rack-bar meshes, anescapement-wheel upon the shaft of said pinion, a pallet vibrated bysaid wheel and having a striker, V-shaped brackets pivotally mounted andswinging in a plane parallel with said rock-shaft, a tablet beingmounted on one arm, and levers having arms projecting forward andprovided with depending arms engaging the bellows, and means forrestoring the tablets to place, substantially as described.

3. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with an arm pivoted atone endupon a suitable bracket or frame, of a curved rackbar pivotallymounted upon the other end, a rock-shaft having an arm-link connected tothe pivoted arm and provided also with a series of arms having plates, acorresponding series of bellows upon which said plates rest, a series ofcatch-levers pivoted upon suitable supports and having arms which restupon the bellows, plates adapted to support tablets pivoted in front ofthe rock-shaft and having arms arranged at an angle with the tablet, anda spring-retracted slide-bar having pins which engage said arms,substantially as described.

4. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with a gong, of a pallethaving a striker, an escapement-wheel vibrating said pallet, a pinion onthe shaft of said wheel, a rack-bar meshing with said escapement, apivoted link actuating said rack-bar, a rockshaft having a link pivotedto the actuatinglink of the rack-bar, a series of bellows, a series oflevers having arms resting thereon and provided also with arms carryingtablets showing the location from which the call is sent, a restoringslide-bar, and a series ot' pneumatic pipes having communication withthe separate bellows, substantially as described.

5. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combination, with a pallet carrying astriker, of an escapement-wheel, a rack-bar pivotally mounted at one endupon a pivoted arm, a link connection engaging a tooth or point ou therack-bar between the two pivotal points, a rock-shaft having an armconnected with said link connection and provided also with arms havingsupport upon one or more eX- pansible bellows, substantially asdescribed.

'6. In a pneumatic annunciator, the combi nation, with a pinionactuating the striker of a gong, of a rack-bar operating said pinion, anarm pivoted at one end upon a rigid support, a rack-bar pivot-ed at theother end of said arm, a link pivotally mounted on said arm andconnected with a tooth on the rackbar, a rock-shaft having an armconnected to said link, and one or more expansible bellows actuatingarms rigid on said rock-shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have afixed my signature in presence ot twowitnesses.

WILLIAM H. HUNT. 'Witnesses PHILIP A. Cook, SAMUEL D. HAINEs.

